Kody was rescued from Bladen County, NC in June 2012. He was first fostered by Kathy and then by Laura. We were so happy to save him, but we were worried when he wasn't playing and running like a normal puppy. We learned some unfortunate news in August: "First of all, Kody has severe hip dysplasia, left side being the worst. He will need to have complete hip replacement surgery in about 2-5 years. For the time being we get to let him live a normal, happy, fun filled life, just have to exercise a bit of caution with him in regards to jumping up on his hind legs, jumping onto high things (like the bed), jumping down from heights, etc. We will start to see his mobility and functionality degrade, to the point where he will be pretty much immobile and will need the surgery.

The other issue he has is on his pelvis, the right side Ilium is very separated compared to the left side. The vet said that it might grow into place over time, however if it continues to be separated, it will cause a lot of issues and pain for Kody down the line, only aggravating the hip dysplasia issue. An option is when we do the hip surgery, there can be a bolt inserted in the Ilium and screwed into the pelvis."

Kody (Blane) the day he met his forever family!

"He is a very brave little guy, the staff at the veterinary clinic were very complimentary of his behavior and said he was a pleasure to work with. The vet also stated that he has an excellent temperament and has developed a high tolerance to the pain that he is dealing with."

Despite this news, Ryan and Sandy did not give up on him. They are committed to ensuring Kody lives a healthy and happy life.

Here's the November update from Ryan and Sandy:"Kody is doing very well, we are so happy with him and love him very much. The cold weather is giving his back legs and hips a little trouble, he’s very stiff in the morning and does little hops sometimes, but as the day goes on he gets better and is careening around the house by lunch time. We have not had any potty accidents in the house for months, I trained him to ring a bell by the door whenever he wants to be let outside. He is very smart, and sometimes he doesn't have to potty when he rings the bell, just wants to go on a walk!

"Ryan and I thank you every day for rescuing Kody and placing him in our lives."

"He is really filling out quite beautifully, his chest is widening out and we can no longer see his ribs! His coat is amazing, has such a great shine and luster to it. He’s also getting to be a bit of a tubby puppy! Our vet recommended we keep him on the leaner side to not aggravate his hip issues too much with a lot of added weight. Kody does however have a little bit of a pot belly now, it's very cute and we like to poke fun at him about it.

Everyone in our community adores Kody and they rush over to say Hi to him whenever they see us on our walks! He gets so many compliments and he just laps them all up! He is such a friendly puppy, he loves everybody and gets along with every dog we've met."

We are so happy to hear that Kody is doing well. He is so lucky to have Ryan and Sandy!